The production team needed a massive space to build a series of complex sets to create Gotham City. Whilst there were concerns about Cardington's suitablility, the team decided on the hangar and at Shepperton Studios they created the Batcave. It took the team 10 months to prepare Cardington so they could begin the set build, which was completed some 100 days later and included a freeway, a downtown area, what the production team called the narrows where Bruce witness's the death of his parents, and the main drag of Gotham City. Scenes shot at this location are too numerous to mention. It also included some smaller scale sets such as the model created for the mountainous layer for the League of Shadows.

Having decended into the world of criminals Bruce finds himself imprisoned. He wakes from a nightmare and he and his cellmates go outside to get lunch but Bruce is provoked and a fight breaks out which is subsequently broken up by the guards. Bruce is placed into solitary confinement where Ducard is waiting for him. He offers Bruce a way out and an opportunity to follow the path of justice by joining the League of Shadows; he also tells him that he will be released the following day.

Whilst the house did not feature in the film the grounds did briefly. After Rachel is poisoned, Bruce races to the Batcave in the Batmobile to get the antidote that will save her. He is heavily pursued through Gotham City but finally shakes his pursuers and escapes into woodland directly into the Batcave.

Opening scenes have a young Bruce Wayne (Gus Lewis) playing at his parents mansion with his childhood friend, Rachel Dawes (Emma Lockhart). Bruce falls down a well and is suddenly surrounded by bats giving him a terror that he takes with him into adulthood. Rachel runs back to the house in a scene showing the outstanding architecture of Mentmore Towers. Bruce is rescued by his father, Thomas Wayne (Linus Roache) and returned to the family home. In a later scene and following the death of his parents, Bruce returns to the house for the funeral. Alfred, the Butler (Michael Caine) then takes charge of his upbringing. Mentmore Towers was chosen as Wayne Manor given its white interiors. The production wanted to reflect not only wealth but also the feeling of a mausoleum when Bruce returned after leaving university. In this scene Alfred greets Bruce (now Christian Bale) and leads him through the house but Bruce remains disturbed by the past. Later in the script and having just escaped from Gotham City with Rachel (now Katie Holmes), Bruce attends his own birthday party as if nothing has happened and tells Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman) what is being planned for Gotham City. Fox leaves and Bruce is desperate to follow but his plans are interupted by a face from the past, Henri Ducard (Liam Neeson). Ducard tells Bruce that he and the League of Shadows are going to destroy Gotham City, but firstly they plans to ensure that the Bat-man does nothing to stop them. They begin to set fire to Wayne Manor, a fight ensues and Bruce is knocked to the floor by a burning beam only to be rescued later by Alfred.

Having failed to shoot his parents killer, a dillusioned Bruce leaves Gotham City and is seen running onto the Docks where a container ship awaits.